Recently, Mozambique’s former transport minister Antonio Munguambe was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for his part in the embezzlement of US$1.7m (€1.25m) from state funds.
The details of his crimes have an all too familiar ring to them – one that echoes across the developing world, where corruption at official level is among the heaviest burdens that ordinary citizens have to bear.
While transport minister from 2005 to 2008, Munguambe and his four highly-placed co-accused used their positions to divert money from Mozambique’s national airport company to pay for luxury homes, cars, and gifts to family members. The ex-minister even used some of it to fund expensive educations for his children in neighbouring South Africa.
Mozambique is so poor that foreign aid accounts for more than half of the government budget, and over 70 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. But none of this caused a moment’s thought to Munguambe and his friends. Self-aggrandisement was all that concerned them.
Foreign aid is viewed by many officials in the developing world as a no-questions-asked steady stream of money to be used to enhance their private lives. It matters not a jot that the vast majority of a country’s citizens may be living in abject poverty – the political elites and their allies just keep on stealing from the public purse.
In one sense it is heartening that the authorities in Mozambique have moved so decisively against Munguambe and his co-accused. But the case only serves highlight the curse of corruption throughout the developing world, and raises once again the question of when, or if, donors are going to seriously confront it.
John O’Shea
Goal
Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin
